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Thieves Brave Poison Gas To Burglarize Home

FT. LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – A couple of crooks who braved poisoned gas to pilfer a home tented for termites may have been caught trying to peddle several pieces of purloined jewelry.

Signs which read "Danger! Deadly Poison!" posted on doors of a residence at 420 SW 18th Avenue didn't deter several men bent on burglarizing the home.

"That sounds like it would be the perfect guise to get into the house," said neighbor Joani Mullen.

"But with all the signs that poison, deadly gas, don't go in," asked CBS4's Ted Scouten.

"Well that's stupid," said Mullen, "I wouldn't do it."

Green & Hylton
Darrin Green (left) and Demar Hylton were charged with burglarizing a home tented for termites. (Source: Broward Sheriff's Office)

But at least two men did. They were discovered when the home owner checked his surveillance system and he saw them rummaging around inside his home. Neither was wearing gas masks; one had a shirt over his face, the other had a scarf.

Ft. Lauderdale police said while checking out the house, Narcotics K-9 officer Tim Shields got a tip that that the men were going to try and sell some of the stolen jewelry the Swap Shop on W Sunrise Boulevard. Detectives spotted the car the burglars were allegedly in and pulled it over.

"We have found some pieces of jewelry that belong to the victim," said Ft. Lauderdale police spokesman Travis Mandell. "The victim has already positively identified them as belonging inside the residence and were removed during the burglary."

Jamarion Lee, 17, and Darrin Green, 20, were charged with residential burglary.  A third person in the car, 19-year old Demar Hylton, was arrested on unrelated warrants for robbery, assault on a law enforcement officer/firefighter and possession of an illegal weapon.

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